Crown-guard for bracelet-watches.



E. G. PITCH. GROWN GUARD FOR BRACELET WATCHES.

APPLICATION Hm JAN. 18, 1912.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

[71,0671/Z07? qitnesses: E', CFitc/v w wv UNITED STATES PgTENtr OFFICE.

EZRA C. FITCH, 0F WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WALTI-IAM WATCH COIVEPANY, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

CROWN-GUARD FOR BRACELET-WATCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EZRA C. FITCH, of Valtham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crown-Guards for Braceletatches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to watches adapted to be bound upon the wrist of the possessor by a bracelet, and more particularly to a means for guarding against accidental displacement of the setting stem and derangement of the hands of a watch so worn. Hitherto watches adapted to be attached to the wrist of the wearer by a brace let, and being of the sort in which setting of the hands is accomplished by moving the stem endwise and subsequently turning the stem, have been found unsatisfactory on account of the danger of the stem being caught by the clothing, or against some obstruction by a careless movement of the hand, and being thereby moved into setting position, where any slight movement due to rubbing or jarring will cause the hands of the watch to be shifted and to give an incorrect time indication.

Briefly stated my object is to avoid this objection by providing a guard which will absolutely prevent the movement of the winding and setting stem into setting position when the watch is fastened upon the wearers wrist.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a bracelet watch to which an embodiment of my invention has been applied.

In these drawings, Figure 1 shows a face view of the watch with the adjacent portions of the attached bracelet. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same indicated as being removed from the wearers hands and illustrating the manner in which the stem may be unlocked when setting of the hands is necessary. Fig. 3 is a view showing the relation of the watch and parts of the bracelet when on the wrist of the wearer, and showing how in such relation the stem is locked against movement into the setting position. Fig. t is an enlarged view partly in section and partly in elevation of the stem crown and the guard.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents the watch, 6 represents one part of the bracelet, and 0 carried around the more curved sides of the wrist very much as shown in Fig. The parts of the bracelet may be flexible, as here indicated, or they may be rigid and curved to correspond with the curvature of the wearers wrist. The only essential in this regard, so far as the present invention is concerned, is that there should be a hinge between one of the parts of the bracelet at least, and the case of the watch.

It is to be understood that the watch here illustrated is stem set, and that the stem in being brought into the setting position from the winding position, in which it normally resides, is pulled outwardly. I have indicated at h the knurled crown which is secured upon the outer end of the stem and is grasped for turning either in winding or setting position, and for pulling or pushmg the stem from one position to the other.

It is important to guard against displac ing the stem into the setting position. for unless a guard of some sort were provided, there would be danger of the crown becoming caught on the wearers cuff, or on some object with which the wrist might come in contact upon movement of the wearers hand or arm. For this purpose I arrange the setting stem and the crown thereof so that the latter lies within one of the loops, as the loop d, which connects one of the parts of the bracelet to the case of the watch. Thus the outer crossbar of this loop and the part of the bracelet through which such crossbar passes extend over the crown in close proximity thereto. Further, in the embodiment of my invention here illustrated, I mount a pin or prong i on the crossbar d of the loop, and arrange such pin so that it projects toward the crown and terminates at a distance therefrom less than the distance through which the crown must be moved to bring the stem into the setting position. The arrangement is such that when the bracelet is fastened about the wrist and the loop (Z is thereby swung into substantially the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the projection i lies so near the outer surface of the crown that it will be engaged by the latter upon preliminary outward move ment thereof, and before the same has moved far enough to incur danger of displacement of the hands. In this way, whenever the watch is secured to the wearers wrist, a positive lock against accidental displacement of the crown into setting position is provided.

In order to permit such movement of the crown as is necessary to effectsetting of the hands, I provide a recess Z: in the crown, which is large enough to admit the projection a and is both approximately in line with the stem. and radial to the pivotal axis of the loop (Z in the plane through which the projection 2' swings. Thus when the loop is placed so to bring the projection 2'. in line with the stem, it is possible to move the crown outward to the extent required for setting, the recess then receiving the projec tion. Such recess is so located, however. that the projection 2' cannot be placed in line with it accidentally. In fact it is preferably so placed that such alinement can be effected only when the bracelet is unclasped and the watch removed from the wearers wrist. By reason of this guard, displacement of the watch hands through th set ting mechanism can take place only by design and not by accident.

I claim,-

1. In combination, a watch including a setting crown movable outwardly into position for setting and having a central axial recess, and a loop pivoted at opposite sides of said crown and having a part crossing the crown and provided with a prong extending toward the crown, said prong being so located on the loop that it may be brought in line with said recess or aside therefrom, 1

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents and when at one side of the recess, being so close to the surface of the crown as to prevent movement thereof into setting position, and the recess having a depth relative to the end of the prong at least as great as the movement of the crown from the normal position to the setting position, whereby setting of the watch hands is possible only when the prong is in line with the recess.

2. In combination, a watch including a setting crown movable outwardly into position for setting a loop pivoted to the watch and having a portion crossing the crown, a prong on such portion extending into close proximity with the end surface of the crown and located so that it may be placed in the axis of the crown by swinging of the loop, and means for normally holding the loop with the prong at one side of such axis, the crown having an axially located recess adapted to receive said prong and of a depth sufficient to permit movement of the crown into setting position, when receiving said prong.

3. The combination of a watch, a braceletattaching loop pivoted to the rim of the watch, a stem crown in the space inclosed by such loop, and a projection on the part of the loop which passes across the crown, extending toward the latter, the crown having a recess adapted to admit said projection when the latter is in line therewith, whereby in one position of the loop the crown may be moved outwardly, such projection in all other positions of the loop being adjacent to the crown and preventing outward movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EZRA C. FITCH.

Witnesses OLoF OHLSON, BEATRICE E. Mosi-inn.

each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. C. 

